How to avoid advertising on alt-right and racist websites (.CSV block list included!)

If you’re using Audience Network placement when advertising on Facebook, you might be unknowingly endorsing a message you don’t really want to be associated with.

One of my clients approached me the other day, saying that someone pointed out that their ads are appearing on an alt-right website with racist and hateful rhetoric.

Even though I’ve been working with Facebook Ads for years now, launching campaigns for multimillion-dollar companies, I’ve never actively thought about the negative impact using Audience Network as a placement might have.

Sure, using Audience Network expands your reach beyond the Facebook platform. When you use Audience Network, Facebook distributes your ads across different apps and websites.

But while Facebook is not picky about which websites they’ll distribute your ad to, you should be.

How to block your ad from appearing on alt-right and racist websites

The good news is that Facebook will not force you to advertise on webpages you don’t want to be associated with. That’s why they launched a feature that allows you to upload a block list to your Business Manager which prevents your ad to be displayed on the websites on your list.

I’ve found a list of White Supremacist / Alt-Right / Sexist websites on NewWhyWeb, and converted that list to a .CSV file. That’s the format Facebook requires you to upload to your Business Manager.